"BRIT IRON" takes you behind the scenes at Classic-British-Motorcycles.com

July 2011 - Issue #4

IN THIS WEEK'S ISSUE:
* New Video of
The Quail Ride
- 100+ Vintage Bikes, 120 miles of Carmel Valley roads & a Helmet Cam.* Brooks Motorcycle Shop Auction - The legendary old-school Brit motorcycle shop & everything in it will be sold!* Went riding today - through the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Coast. What a ride!

HELLO AGAIN
It's been a busy week for me. Lots of stuff to do that had nothing to do with old Brit bikes. But it all had to be done anyway. I got very little done on my T140D other than making yet another trip to
Raber's Parts Mart
to pick up a special tool to adjust the primary chain. Other than than, I made little progress on my clutch project. The next big ride I plan to take on it is the California BSA Rally in Visalia CA, Sept 8-11. It sounds like plenty of time, but it's just 5 weeks away & that's not all that long when preparing a Classic British Motorcycle for a big trip...

WHAT A RIDE!The Quail Ride
is part of the
Quail Motorcycle Gathering
which takes place every May at the beautiful Quail Lodge Golf & Country Club in Carmel Valley CA. The show itself is loaded with gorgeous classic motorcycles, cool vendors, great food & music, all against the backdrop of the golf course. There's also a Bonhams & Butterfield classic motorcycle auction where, this year they auctioned off one of Steve McQueen's Husqvarna dirt bikes. The Quail Ride takes place the day before the show & is open to vintage bikes of all ages & makes. I took my
'79 T140D Bonneville Special
with a brand-new Helmet Cam that I'd never used before. The video came out great, with lots of great riding action from the rider's-eye view. The ride itself included a 120-mile loop through the Carmel Valley & surrounding hills, and ended at Laguna Seca Raceway for a quick 'touring lap'. I just finished it up this evening & put it on my YouTube channel. Check it out & let me know what you think. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma13TO0w5BY

BROOKS CYCLE SHOP TO BE AUCTIONED OFF
Ed Brooks opened his motorcycle shop in San Jose CA right after World War II & soon specialized in British motorcycles. A young Bob Raber started working for Brooks in the 1960's, then when Ed retired in 1984, Bob opened his own Classic British Motorcycle Shop,
Raber's Parts Mart.
Ed Brooks passed away a few years ago & more now his estate is being settled. The shop has been full of motorcycles, engines, parts, tools, signs & more. It will all be auctioned off on Saturday, Nov 5 at Brooks Cycle Shop in San Jose CA. There could be some real 'barn finds' in there. Check the flyer & for more info check www.nealeandsons.com. I plan to be there.

WENT RIDIN'...WIERD WEATHER FOR THE END OF JULY!
Wish I could say I went out on my Triumph, but alas it's clutch is laying in a pile on my garage floor. No, I went riding on my Harley today with a few friends. I have a 2008 H-D Dyna & I really love riding it. I hit the road early this morning, as I live in Pleasanton & all my Harley riding buddies are in San Jose (about 45 minutes away). I was quite surprised at how cold & overcast it was, but assumed it would burn off quickly. By 9:00 am, I arrived at our meeting place but it was nearly 10:30 before we actually took off. The cloud cover still hadn't lifted. We headed down Almaden Road & took backroads all the way to Watsonville, Salinas & finally had lunch in Moss Landing on the Coast. We were socked in with fog the entire time. Is this really the last day of July? Where's Global Warming when you need it?! We headed back & stopped at Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville for a slice of fresh fruit pie. Gizdich is a must-see & one of the best-kept secrets around. Located in the middle of an apple orchard, the tiny tourist attraction is themed like an old-time farm, and has an antique & gift shop, a picnic area & a snack bar. They make everything that they serve. Their fresh apple juice is like nothing you've ever tasted before. And they have a wide variety of fruit pies, all delicious! All in all, it was a great ride, despite the overcast. It got hot by the time we hit Gilroy. Some really nice curves too.

UNTIL NEXT TIME...
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